Uzbekistan crafty update

I don't seem to have talked about the lovely English Paper Piecing project that Karin Hellaby designed for us to work while on our holiday in Uzbekistan last year, which is rather remiss of me. She brought with her a kit for each of us with fabric from the wonderful Oakshott Fabrics. Their shot cottons are a delight to work with, I have two collections sitting in my sewing room waiting for me to feel confident enough to turn them into "something". Karin's design was inspired by the lovely colours and star motifs that we saw in tilework, woodwork and ceilings all across the country.

We had several stitch sessions with her where she talked us through how to cut and piece the individual elements, then applique our star onto the background fabric. These took place in this delightful room in the hotel we stayed at in Bukhara. This was also where we had breakfast each day we were there.

Most of us hadn't finished the project by the time we came home, but several members of the group got theirs done some time ago. Mine was almost there, but had joined the ever increasing collection of "things I really should finish soon". Then I was delighted to find my work featured in a post on the Oakshott Fabrics' Instagram about Karin's travels so thought I'd better finish it.

I had done all the piecing and applique,

worked some embroidery in Bokhara couching; the green triangles echoing the central green hexagon; and some small chain stitch motifs, based on design elements we had seen there. I added a scattering of beads and sequins 

I have at last assembled it into a cushion which sits extremely comfortably in Ganna's wickerback chair in my study

I am so pleased with this: each time I pass my study door, which sits open, I catch sight of it and am briefly transported back to the beautiful things I saw in Uzbekistan.